Aren’t you a little old for that?

My 30th birthday is coming up on the 17th, and that means that I’ll probably be hearing the inevitable question.

“Aren’t you a little old for that?”

I’ve got a closet full of Dungeons & Dragons books and other role-playing games. I’ve got a Playstation 2 sitting downstairs, a few thousand comic books stacked in my office, and still devour science fiction and fantasy like a 10 year old. I play D&D every Friday, and heck, I’ve even got my own Christmas tree decked out with Star Wars and Star Trek ornaments.

All of which begs that question I’ve been hearing since high school: “Aren’t you a little old for that?”

To which I say, “Hell no!î

I love my games and toys — always have and always will. They’re the sorts of hobbies that keep me thinking creatively while constantly inspiring me in new and occasionally unexpected ways. They allow me to stay connected what a friend likes to describe as “my inner geek”, that 5-year-old who was over-awed by Star Wars, that 12-year-old who used to dream of walking on the moon, that 16 year old who found himself at Space Camp … and that 28 year old who happily discovered his rebellious dreams echoed in The Matrix.

Now I’m not saying that you should never grow up, than everyone should aspire to retain the mind of a child. You do need to mature, to question your beliefs and to come to an understanding of who and why you are. But I do think that you always need to remember the child you were, and keep that wide-eyed, hyper-creative flame alive in you throughout all of your days.

So no, I’m not a little old for Dungeons and Dragons, or Lord of the Rings or even Harry Potter. And that’s a damn good thing, because I suspect that if I ever do grow too old for these things will be the day I die … if not in body, then certainly in mind.

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About Nuketown

Nuketown is a speculative fiction website that’s been published continuously since 1996.

It’s publishing focus is articles, reviews and editorials about science fiction, fantasy, and horror with heroic overtones. It covers a variety of topics within the speculative fiction genre, including games, movies, soundtracks, books, and websites.